News of the Western Belize Recreational Area, about 500 square miles of waterfalls, caves, Mayan ruins and pyramids, Belize Alps, foothills, ranches and farms, tourist accomodations of all types and description, tours and expeditions for vacationers and visitors. Even a small growing expatriate retirement group of people from different countries. In Belize, this is where it is happening, all the things that are fun and even serious, with a climate of ETERNAL SPRING.

BELIZE ONLY HAS TWO CRUSADING LAWYERS FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE OF BELIZE AS A SOLID COUNTRY OF LAWS

WE ARE PROUD OF MS. AUBREY SHEPHERD AND ANTOINETTE MOORE !

Belize only has two crusading lawyers fighting for a better Belize into the future. Both are concentrating on the effects of the ill gotten gains, law system used by the two gangs of pirates making up the two major political parties.

The two lawyers are both female. The lead one is Antoinette Moore who often takes pro-bono cases and fights for the underdog. The other is Ms Aubrey Shepherd that is complaining a lot about Constitutional Reforms needed, but not actually writing any bills to change anything. I'd like to see her write the Bill that would amend the law banning the Minister's Discretion clauses, canceling them, leaving the real laws. Ministers discretion means you get the law thrown at you to confuse and block you, unless you pay the political party Cabinet Minister a bribe. Then he uses the Ministers discretion clause, at the bottom of every meaningful law, to negate the law. The law is always what the political party in power says it is. Whether it is for an oil block concession, or to export something to Trinidad. This political party piracy has got to stop and ridding the Constitution of these bribery laws, using Ministers discretion needs to go. It is time!

Monday, June 28, 2010

The processed meat products that were imported from abroad period in our history is almost over. We still import canned meat, like luncheon meats, corn beef and such. But nearly ALL meat products are MADE IN BELIZE today. For you Belizeans living abroad, we can buy all kinds of sausages, breakfast links, salami, hot salami, Polish sausage, boneless chicken breast, pork chops, T bone steaks and many, many more. I think it is probably protected now, with no imports allowed. We have a WIDE variety of meats. The days of somebody killing a pig on Saturday, or a cow, for the community may still be followed in some small rural villages, but in ALL TOWNS now all 9 of them, we have Chinese stores with HUGE glass multi-door freezers with all kinds of meat products. You old timers living abroad would not believe the progress the meat industry has made. There are to my knowledge two processing factories in Belize. One in the port town and one at Bull Run. It is hard to believe they are producing so much and doing such a good job at it.

This message sent to the Bz-Culture Mailing List from Lan Sluder : Spent the day today touring sustainable, natural and organic farms in Western North Carolina. There were 37 such farms on the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP) annual tour this weekend -- mostly small, family-owned farms around Asheville dedicated to providing local organic products. Goat farms, hops farms, truck gardening farms, grass-fed beef, etc.

These farms belong to the ASAP group and typically sell through farmers' markets, tailgate markets and to local organic and speciality groceries and supermarkets. A few sell regionally.

This "slow food" or "local food" movement is all over the USA and Europe.

There are a sizeable number of such small farms in Belize, too, but to my knowledge they do not have any grass roots organizations and don't seem to work together. I hope that someday they will be able to organize together and work together for sustainable agriculture in Belize.

--Lan Sluder

Thank You for using the Bz-Culture Mailing List To subscribe/unsubscribe email bz-culture-request@psg.com with the message: subscribe or unsubscribe Send comments to bz-culture-owner@psg.com

The CLAUSE that gives MINISTER DISCRETION at the end of every set of main legal laws, is a built in Colonial bribery system, that allows in our current independent mode for Ministers to collect BRIBES for waiving the laws. In essence we have no country of laws. We have laws yes, but you can purchase your way around them. The laws before the MINISTERS DISCRETION clause in each and every law are only used against those that do not pay the politician. Or to steal, or bankrupt the Opposition, or anybody dreaming up ways of making a new business. We have a PIRATE GOVERNMENT AND A PIRATE Constitution of LAWS. Ms Shepherd a new young lawyer, is doing a good job in the public domain opening the SHAM that is our Consitutional system of alleged laws in Belize. It is surprising to me, that since amending the MINISTERS DISCRETION piratical bribery system of legality in Belize, should have been a priority of the UDP when they ran for election to re-organize our country honestly, our new Prime Minister Dean Barrow has not yet rescinded all MINISTER DISCRETION clauses in our Constitution of laws? He came across as a crusader when running for election and the cost is practically zero in effort and costs to the government treasury.

We could change all that by; passing a law that says that all "clauses" giving MINISTERS DISCRETION, are rescinded and now invalid henceforth. Then we move on to a country of real LAWS made for everybody on a more level playing field.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Good article in the GUARDIAN government party newspaper this week, on BTL and the TRUSTS involved with shareholdings. The title is WHAT IS BTL VALUE? The government does not really tell you. They do say, one time back in history that some Belize shareholders and Ashcroft himself bought about 8,216,00 shares at that price of $3 per share. The Guardian newspaper estimate is that BTL is worth around $148,656,000. I think they are off their rocker myself. I estimate the value without the ACCOMODATION AGREEMENT guaranteeing all losses and guaranteed profit margin that ASHCROFT squeezed out of former Prime Minister Musa ( Ashcroft allegedly knew where the skeletons were buried in the political party according to the rumor mill and newspaper reports of that time ). Anyway I doubt BTL is worth more than .15 cents to 65 cents a share right now. SUNSHINE HOLDINGS interest is probably about .05 cents a share. BTL is now a PENNY STOCK. No one knows yet how many shares are outstanding and available. I myself, wrote to both BTL BOARD and the MINISTER OF FINANCE to offer to BROKER and be MARKET MAKER for BTL SHARES coming up for sale. From a development of Belize viewpoint, that is always a business I wanted to start, as a STOCK EXCHANGE. Belize cannot really get any investment capital until they have a stock exchange. Knowing the political system in Belize I never expected to be even considered, as these sort of people simply solicit ideas and then farm them out to relatives and family. So I never went into operating details. Without experience based on the profit motive and not on a government salary, such a venture cannot be successful from a Development of BELIZE point of approach. My feeling is they will make a mess of it. The essence is that we will NEVER KNOW the true value of BTL in closed shop sales, with fixed pre-arranged prices. Only in the market place at auction can you get the true value set. I’d hazard a guess that right now, BTL is a company that can show a net profit of $8 to $12 million a year. At a fair share price set by stock market auction, I am interested in $100,000 worth of shares myself. But at a rigged FIXED share price probably will not buy any. Wish I could get some backers with a few million dollars. What I want is control of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS through a majority shareholding. Without that, the company is probably not a good investment for anybody. BTL has gone down in value a lot, also the dividends and profits have gone down too, as they meet competition in the market place. It could still be a good investment to develop the country with, and grow with the population. I don’t expect them to do profitable anymore, as good even as a small local bank for annual net profits. At least not for years to come. The AMANDALA newspaper gave a good coverage of the multiple shareholders that were ballyhooed back in ASHCROFT and MUSA diddling days as two TRUSTS. The big one used for lying, cheating, scheming propaganda was the SUNSHINE TRUST holdings of shares. Supposedly for the benefit of the BTL employees. According to the article in the newspaper, I interpret; SUNSHINE TRUST was a charade, a big farce. Back in the beginning I said so, it was about CONTROL of voting rights, not about beneficiaries.. Ostensibly SUNSHINE TRUST holds 23% of that time; shares in BTL. Those shares are worth pennies on the dollar nowadays. Using the price of shares back in the hey day of BTL machinations as a collusion between former PM Musa, the valuation of this back then years ago, was around supposedly $34 million at $3 a share. Nowadays at .15 cents a share if you are lucky, that would actually put those shares at a price of .05 cents each. BTL is now a PENNY STOCK. The way the SUNSHINE HOLDINGS TRUST was set up, the shares it holds were bought by loans from BANKS. The newspaper articles have referred to a Bank held by Ashcroft in Turks and Caicos if memory serves me rightly, and another Bank in Trinidad I believe? With shares bought by loans and a TRUST controlled by Ashcroft’s man in BELIZE, Dean Boyce, the voting control of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of BTL was ensured, but the debt or cost of the shares was passed on, to any beneficiaries as a future cost. This SUNSHINE HOLDINGS actually has nothing, if anything, only overpriced swollen debt values and the all essential voting rights of course, before NATIONALIZATION. The article in the AMANDALA this weekend do not tell us how many shares are allegedly owned by SUNSHINE HOLDINGS TRUST, but at .05 cents a share, can’t be worth much today. I’m not at all clear when they talk about the SUNSHINE HOLDINGS and the BTL Employees Trust what and who they are talking about. There is a lot of harping coming from the ASHCROFT camp and representatives about values and compensation. Only a true stock exchange market bid and ask operation can set a true value on the shares available in BTL. Anything else is a charade. It is of course advantageous for Dean Boyce the man for Ashcroft in Belize to holler and yell stuff like they had a $600 million offer for BTL one time, or they sold some shares to minority stockholders at $10 a share another time. They are setting a RED HERRING paper trail, for future litigation. I always thought BTL was a PUBLIC CORPORATION and if it is, I guess we have no auditing, or reporting requirements like WALL STREET, to put information about the company in the OPEN. Printed weekly in the newspapers as to BID and ASK prices and transfers of shares. This telecommunications company has always been treated like a privately held company. In my experience in North America this would be against the law. I suppose we have no such laws in Belize? Which makes it a ROBBER BARON paradise here in Belize. From what I gather reading the weekend GUARDIAN article, the beneficiaries are the BTL employees. Since it is apparent this is a REVOCABLE TRUST, whatever the name they use, this part is a charade. The entity was used solely to buy shares and borrow money to buy shares and give the voting rights to the BELIZE BANK, an ASHCROFT owned entity. The GRANTOR, or what this legal language calls a PROTECTOR is the BELIZE BANK. The PROTECTOR can change TRUSTEES, change beneficiaries and do anything they want at all. This is not an IRREVOCABLE TRUST, which means it is simply a financial instrument to manipulate share holdings and debt and BTL dividends. That’s my opinion of it anyway? It is a lot of gobblygook, but from the newspaper article, the BTL employees TRUST is owned by SUNSHINE HOLDINGS, which is owned half and half by the BTL EMPLOYEES and the other half by DEAN BOYCE, Ashcroft’s reputed man in Belize. The BELIZE BANK as PROTECTOR under the described articles, say they can change this without notice at any time. A thinly disguised attempt to cover one man owning everything. The government of Belize however, say they now own SUNSHINE HOLDINGS, by NATIONALIZATION, which owns the BTL employees TRUST. So DEAN BOYCE and the BTL EMPLOYEES actually own nothing at all. There is effectively no BTL EMPLOYEES TRUST anymore, if there ever was one? The government owning SUNSHINE HOLDINGS by NATIONALIZATION, therefore now owns the 23% Shares of BTL controlled by the TRUST. How actually the PROTECTOR, the BELIZE BANK would come into this, with the ability to change the playing field under the articles I don’t know. But since NATIONALIZATION I would presume the PROTECTOR is now the Government of Belize and can do anything they want with those shares. Transferring them to another legal entity would be probably a good way of getting rid of the litigation prospects from ASHCROFT legal entities. You would leave a bankrupt SUNSHINE HOLDINGS, which would not have the assets to pay off any loans owing banks.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Education Minister Patrick Faber is responsible for the 5 point jump in the UDP government approval rating today. He has been a lot on the news lately, and in his very articulate manner has kept the general public informed of the problems the nation and his ministry is facing with the problems facing EDUCATION in Belize. He is currently tackling the problems of primary school education, particularly in rural parts. What I like about Patrick Faber is his no-nonsense manner in talking about the problems of his Ministry of Education. He pulls no punches and does not try to cover up problems. He explains quite well, the different goals and motivations of everybody involved and does not appear to be into self aggrandizement. Undoubtedly if I were a voting UDP party member, I would vote for him for PARTY HEAD when Dean Barrow retires the end of this term.

When it comes to UDP CABINET MINISTERS doing their job well, PATRICK FABER the Minister of Education is Number 1 in the party. No. 2 would be Rene Montero the Agriculture Minister. There is no No's 3,4 and 5 in sight. The Minister of Finance is somewhere in the middle of the party ratings, in the middle mediocre field. A bit lower down in the ratings would be Minister of Transport. Down at the bottom would be MINISTER OF LANDS, whoever it is these days? That is one screwed up government department. I keep waiting for the investigative media to write stories on the problems they are having with serving the voting public in a timely manner. Seeing as how it is no better, and possibly worse than when the PUP had it.

Anyway, KUDOS to EDUCATION MINISTER PATRICK FABER for leading the CABINET WOLFPACK.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

YOUNG LAWYER WRITES FAREWELL ARTICLE TO JUSTICE ABDULAI CONTEH CJ By Ray Auxillou This may be a complimentary article for Justice Abudulai Conteh CJ, renowned for bringing sanity and legality to a crooked justice system in Belize. At my age, one knows there is no justice in the Belize Legal system. My own opinion like many others of the experienced lay public, avoid the justice system as a Bar Association/political complex manipulating mafia. Akin to the words of President Eisenhower of the USA who warned the citizens of that country about the manipulation of government by the military-political industrial complex. The article written by young lawyer Audrey Matura-Shepherd describing her journey through the criminal mine field of Belizean non-justice is a powerful story. It is so powerful that this article needs to go down in our College level and University level, social and cultural history classes for reference. If we are to build a better Belize we need to listen to this lady. Justice Conteh is being forcibly retired by the UDP administration by the age requirements and the better members of the Bar Association are protesting. This JUSTICE came into a court system that was so crooked and criminal it was a laughing stock. The article; CONTEH, THE COUNTRY AND THE CONSTITUTION describing her personal experience by young lawyer Audrey Matura-Shepherd can be found in the AMANDALA newspaper of Sunday June 20, 2010 and will undoubtedly be used for decades to come as a historical reference point in the DEVELOPMENT OF BELIZE. Here are some quotes from the article:

“ I had to question where the justice in our “ justice system” was. As I recall it, I was constantly facing a system – yes, a SYSTEM designed to keep people oppressed and ignorant. “ She goes on to describe her family court cases with other lawyers who constantly compromised her position rather than fight for her. Many lawyers she claims have CONFLICTS OF INTEREST and NEVER declared them and do not to this day. Which describes legal white collar criminal activity in rather mild terms. Many magistrates were intimidated by rich and powerful politically connected lawyers. Their jobs depend on it. She describes how her introduction to the political manipulation made her realize that justice was not about justice, but manipulation not for national development, but rather personal development. (self enrichment) It was no surprise therefore for this young lawyer as a trainee, who was to be appointed to the SENATE for the then OPPOSITION PARTY, became victimized and a personal family court matter normally held in-camera was suddenly moved by political manipulation to the open public Magistrates Court so she would be dragged through public humiliation. It turned out to be a real political circus, she describes. The objective by the party in power to get a ONE YEAR CONVICTION for breach of a FAMILY COURT ORDER and thus be disqualified for a seat in the SENATE for the OPPOSITION. In those days as a student, she did not know about her right to an injunction, had no money to hire lawyers, or get a judicial review of having her family court case politically manipulated. Nor did she have enough knowledge to know that a lawyer who once represented her, could now represent the other side in the same matter. She did know that Belize JUSTICE was not justice even if she could not define it. That was the impetus to send her somehow to study law. Politics removed Justice Sosa in a forceful way. She explains that the JUSTICE system in Belize is a CHECK & BALANCE mechanism against the one party elected dictatorship, we call a parliamentary democracy. ( We probably need to move to a proportional representation system ?) While this article is supposed to be about Justice Conteh and how he has dramatically changed at least one segment of the manipulated crooked legal system in Belize, by throwing out political and government instigated lawsuits, during his tenure, she started to write a newspaper column. The political powers promptly charged her with contempt of court. For that matter I have never met anyone who has anything but contempt for the Belize Bar Association and legal court system in the civil population. If they exist they are scarcer than Hens teeth? Prior to her case for contempt, two newspaper editors had previously spent time in prison on similar charges as the criminal political-legal complex mafia defended itself, but the OPPOSITION of the day rallied to her defense and she won her case. The intent was political, as a conviction would have prohibited her serving in the SENATE. There was a JUSTICE that was on contract to Belize for the legal system, who openly took bribes and eventually even the politicians who were renowned for doing the same thing and their criminality, had to bow to public opinion and newspaper articles exposing the criminal activity and had him dismissed. The replacement was the basis of this article, Justice Abdul Conteh as Chief Justice and he promptly started to serve REAL JUSTICE without fear or favor. The current argument about terminating his contract is FEAR that we will slip back into the clutches of some other Commonwealth get rich quick, hired contract CHIEF JUSTICE. The current justice system in Belize is better than before of say 3 to 5 years ago. It is certainly not good, but getting better. JUSTICE CONTEH is renowned for making these changes. Aubrey goes on to describe the practice of Magistrates and Justices who make private deals with lawyers in their chambers. There are senior attorneys who use their political connections to dominate the legal and court systems. Now she is back in the legal system as a lawyer in her own right and realizes now that her gut feeling of the student years, can now find expression in a more legal form to the dismay of a good many of her colleagues in the BAR ASSOCIATION. She is confronting the legal-political mafia head on. As she points out, OUR Belize Political one party wins the government dictatorship for five years, creating public servants who become corrupted. ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY! Now that she has learned the nuances, tricks and inner methods of the criminal minded law system, she has found her growing up years and student years fears, were not PARANOIA. She does say there are a very FEW GOOD LAWYERS in the Belize justice system. Belize has now developed two mafia low level street gangs and JUSTICE nowadays is often served with a gun and a hitman. The situation in the port of Belize City is now you can hire an assassin to get JUSTICE. It is both cheaper and quicker. Very recently this evolving development saw the law firm of the Prime Minister suffer a hit on his law partner, a close friend. It is not far fetched to expect criminal JUSTICES who answer to politicians of the CABINET, or take bribes for decisions will meet the same fate. You can see the trend. Already business disputes are being done that way using small port gangland assassins. We are learning much from the USA our mentor. Self serving get rich quick, politicians have not yet suffered this fate, but you can see the trend coming. That is the FEAR everyone in the BAR ASSOCIATION feels about the termination of JUSTICE CONTEH. There will be nobody to protect them using the JUSTICE SYSTEM in defying rapacious Cabinet Ministers on get rich schemes. Audrey Matura-Shepherd is a good writer. Her crusade should be encouraged. She means well even if I personally do not agree with her opinion on everything. The country needs her and future historians are going to be studying her articles for writing books about the history of Belize in the modern era of this century. She can be also a powerful tool for change in the way we govern our country for the better.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

A RETIREE in the tropical country of the Western Foothills of the Belize Alps tries his hand at 73 years of age, in earning some extra money is the idea, trading OEX INDEX OPTIONS in Chicago via the internet.

It has taken 10 months of experimentation, research and work, to reach this successful month of May of trading. The goal now is to do the same in June options. June options start on the 24th of May and run through to the THIRD EXPIRATION FRIDAY of June, 18th.____________________________

Report #32 from the Western Belize Happenings!JUNE OPTION MONTH STARTING 21ST OF MAY TO JUNE 19 TH ( Third Monday of May, to third Friday of June month )

TRADES: Goal is to duplicate the success of May with 16 trades entered and won. It has taken 10 months to get to this point in the evolving trading methodology. This is the June Trading Month as we go along.

Number of trades to date: 8 --- June 15th.

Number of winning trades: 5

Number of trades closed at breakeven - no win - no loss: 2

Number of losing trades: 0

Open trades pending working: 1

Percentage of total annual wins to losing trades: 100%_________________________________________

Return on GROSS ACCOUNT CAPITAL is running between 3% and a little over 5% per month. Individual trade returns vary slightly.__________________________

June trades 1) A long CALL taken at a cost of $2630 and sold at $2760 before commissions were deducted. Ran a week and was a wrong decision for timing.breakeven trade 0trade 2) A long CALL taken at a cost of $2670 and sold at $2680 before commissions were deducted. Ran a week and was a wrong decision on timing. ( No gain - no loss -breakeven trade breakeven trade 0

4 Sept/500 PUTS $29.70 OEX at 495 June 15th. -Option House- continue holding into next week -WORKING-++++++++++++++++++++JUNE OPTION MONTH ¨spreads¨ win total: + net $2217.602 Long CALLS lost at breakeven cost4 long PUTS carried over into JULY option month - still working -=============================

Review: Conclusions - Long options in CALLS and PUTS need further refinement in methodology. They are not working as currently done using OPTION HOUSE brokers! Spreads gave us two scares and nail biting scenarios, but eventually expired as planned in the profit category. Preparations for July Option month starting on Monday sometime during the Option month, will start with real cash as fast as the paperwork and mail service allow with Chicago brokers. Probably take most of the month to deal with that part of it? Option House brokers were cheaper for commissions but gave bad fills which were expensive on the long options and probably caused us losing trades. Thinkorswim brokers were more expensive for commissions ( about double ) but gave superior price premiums in the trials for trades.

Friday, June 18, 2010

BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES HIGHLIGHT THE PROBLEM WITH AMENDMENTS TO THE LABOR LAWS OF BELIZE.

The Business Perspectives didn´t do much of anything this week in their program. I kept waiting for them to discuss the labor law amendments to do with :

The government and bank holidays which stay the same. Why should they? In the tourist business the biggest earner, the business is in catering to people on their holidays. That is when your tourist workers have to work. Like fishing, you fish when the fish are biting, not otherwise. If your tourist business is the Easter holidays, you hire people to work the Easter holidays and lay them off between the holidays. Or they take a holiday outside of local holidays.

In the financial business, you are trading with Singapore, London, New York, Chicago and Tokyo. Each place has their own government and bank holidays and they are not the same as in Belize. You work when the business is running and in financial trading, you work to other country holidays. When they close their markets, you don´t work in Belize either, even if Belize has no particular holiday on that same day. Yet people are supposed to get double time and a half in Belize for working a local holiday, because other country holidays have open financial centers, while in Belize the labor laws say everything is supposed to be closed.

The big impression I got from the Business Perspectives program was that the CEO guy, who is from Labor needs to be retired, or transferred to traffic department or something? The labor department need new blood, preferably an MBA with an open mind, under 30 years of age and no colonial labor law baggage. The telephone call from the Trade Unions and comments from the lady running the Chamber of Commerce TV show, high lighted this point. They were polite and respectful, but the guy has to go was their message and I agree. Amendments mean change. I found the labor CEO guy knowledgeable, but obsolete and archaic. It is like the old truism. You don´t fight this new war with the last war´s Generals. Both the Chamber and the Trade Unions said he, Labor Dept. CEO was useless and incompetent, as he has taken 2 years to write a few amendments, that shouldn´t take some new University graduate in Belize more than 2 weeks to do. The guy obsfucated with crap about CASE LAW. The labor laws should be written in detail enough to avoid law suits. That is what the current amendments and review is about.

He put forth some gobblygook about Independent Contractors and Dependent Contractors, a term he invented apparently? What nonsense! Day workers were not mentioned. Nor casuals!

The labor laws of Belize are colonial in nature and you need fresh minds at this amendment re-writing, using other foreign country examples to guide you in principle. Everything is on the internet these days, should be no problem for a bright fresh young thing. I liked the views of the lady Labor Commissioner. Put her in charge of everything.

I agree with the Trade Union and the Chamber TV lady chair person. The bureaucratic problem is the guy who is the LABOR CEO. His day is done! Time for new blood.

The existing labor laws in Belize were written, or adopted from colonial practices when only civil servants, stevedores, trade union people and shop keepers were involved. They do not address the complexities of modern society which is often 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, working in a vibrant commercial society, dealing with international customers from around the world of different time zones and different holiday patterns and seasons.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

There are several places in our area of Western Belize for older retirees who need assisted living. At 25% the cost of her USA and equal to, or better than the USA. They are small scale though, about 6 to 8 persons outfits accomodations. __________________________________

What Happens to Your Health Care When You Go Overseas?

The Sovereign Society (June 16, 2010)

A Booming Medical Tourism Industry Means You Can Look Forward to a Healthy Life OffshoreBy Mike Cobb

Nearly 500,000 retirees pick up their Social Security checks at an embassy or other location outside of the United States. If you’re among them – or want to be – then it probably means you’ve successfully expatriated your wealth … and/or yourself!

Gaining a second residency, or giving up your native citizenship altogether, typically means severing ties (even if only temporarily) with the culture, amenities and conveniences to which you have become accustomed.

You can take your Social Security with you when you go … even if you forfeit your citizenship. But of all the things you give up … what happens if your insurance coverage is among them?

Believe it or not, that’s a “risk” that many – even those in need of costly surgeries and routine preventive medicine for a low co-pay — are willing to take. Here’s why…

Healthcare in the United States may be a hot-button topic at cocktail parties and on Capitol Hill.

But no matter what side of the issue you fall on, among the many transitions you must be prepared to make before you move overseas includes a change in your medical care.

It’s one thing to toss some ibuprofen, a hot/cold pack and a six-month supply of allergy medicine into your suitcase when you travel for a week or two at a time. But what about if you need emergency or longer-term care?

You’ve probably developed a relationship with your primary care physician, specialist(s) and perhaps even a particular hospital.

Especially if you have chronic conditions, traveling can be a challenge – not just because of the loss of familiarity, but because the doctors and facilities you so carefully researched in your home city or country don’t make house calls, let alone jump on a plane and meet you halfway around the world.

If you’ve been thinking about living or even retiring overseas, but feel like it may not be an option for you, you may want to revisit your stance.

Why? Because an emerging “medical tourism” industry means that not only can you travel with health issues, but your health might even be a reason to leave in the first place!

48 American States Have Secretly Transformed Themselves into New Rogue-Trading ENRONs…

But if you retreat to these 6 Ponzi-Proof investments right now, your wealth could multiply 3-5 fold, even as millions of Americans watch their retirement accounts go up in smoke.

‘Electing’ to Go Elsewhere

Medical tourism is a growing business in which U.S. and Canadian patients fly overseas to have surgeries and procedures because they can have them done for approximately 25% to 50% of the cost in North America.

The most-popular ones are electives such as plastic surgery and dental work, because they are typically not covered by insurance.

India and Thailand, however, are now doing major operations like open-heart surgery.

But why would someone decide to go to Bangkok over, say, Boston for such a risky procedure?

For many, the question is instead, “Why not?”

As we move toward socialized medicine and the lines get longer — and the treatments get rationed — anyone with money is going to look elsewhere for service.

And this can be a nice option for anyone wanting not only to accelerate their access to services, but also to lower their premiums as well.

Advancements Being Made Outside of America

Keep in mind that the FDA approval process is a slow one. In the United States, you may not have access to equipment, medication, materials and procedures that have been approved in Europe for years.

Latin countries have access to many of these new tools of medicine. Here in Belize, where I am based, my wife was getting 3-D ultrasounds for our second daughter … when her friends in the United States were getting 2-D.

Each country has one or two top-notch hospitals with U.S.-trained English-speaking doctors and state-of-the-art equipment. In fact, the technology is in place to let a doctor in Belize send images to docs anywhere in the world real-time for consult.

Covering Your Coverage Costs

You might have to change providers when you leave the country, but you might not necessarily be giving up anything when you give up your U.S. citizenship.

There are some great insurance companies out there. I use one called BUPA, out of Miami, that covers anyone living outside North America.

Coverage is for hospitals worldwide, including the U.S. and Canada, and they even have a jet they use to air-evac you if you need it.

I pay less than $5,000 per year for a family of four. And many folks supplement with a local policy at a hospital “in country” to cover their non-emergency and non-major medical needs.

What About More-Comprehensive Care?

What if you or a loved one is in need of assisted-living services? While this is still a few years off, the opportunities for assisted living experts to develop this product in the region is huge.

My company, ECI Development, is currently in discussion stages with some doctors who’d like to partner with us to provide the medical component to our real estate developments in Belize, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. We have the regional and development experience, local connections and an existing human resource infrastructure to launch a program.

The medical component is taking shape and stands to provide a huge opportunity for any number of physicians to participate full time, part time or on a consulting basis.

Longer-term care is just one area where ECI will facilitate a joint venture with experts from that industry. We’ve already done some limited assisted living in the case of a woman with M.S. Her costs in the United States ran about $10,000-$12,000 per month for round-the-clock care.

Her costs at Gran Pacifica, however, were 25% of that. Because healthcare jobs tend to pay well in that area, they are very coveted. Accordingly, the quality of her care, she believes, is also improved from what she was receiving in the U.S.

An Opportunity Gold Mine

People – investors, developers and medical professionals – who get into the medical tourism arena first will carve out a nice spot for themselves on the ground floor of this growing industry.

Remember, Levi Strauss went west to the gold fields to make a fortune and he did … selling shovels, buckets, overalls and rations to the miners.

Medical tourism and assisted living are going to provide similar opportunities to folks who want to be out there ahead of the crowd and serve the growing needs of this group of clients.

Any way you slice it, whether you take advantage of overseas medical care or simply wait for the real players in this booming industry to emerge, you can take comfort in knowing that your health as well as your wealth can be preserved by going offshore!

Sincerely,

Mike CobbChairman & CEO, ECI Development

Mike Cobb is the chairman and CEO of ECI Development, a Belize-based Central American Real Estate holding and development company. He is also a member of The Sovereign Society’s Council of Experts.

Monday, June 14, 2010

What is fantastic is the road system, the causeway and the landscaping by terraces for concentrated farming. The Maya Empire desolved most believe, because of CLIMATE CHANGE. There was a 200 to 300 year drought in the Mayan Kingdoms and millions of people starved to death.

Monday, June 7, 2010

A large number of women have allergies and one of those common allergies is allergy to your husbands sperm! It is easily resolved but not by a regular doctor.

Doctors tend to prescribe pills, antibiotics for yeast infections and other bacterial problems of the vagina. Having known a few women myself with vaginal problems, I was really startled to read the trials and tribulations of two years of a newly wed couple that might have to break up, because sex was painful and the vagina irritated and blistered. Going to doctor after doctor solved nothing. 99% of general doctors draw the conclusion that you have a yeast or bacterial infection. Turns out this young couple lucked out and heard of a doctor in Cincinatti that specialized in this problem. Voila! They went and were cured.

The young wife had been having sex with her paramour before they got married, using a condom and KY jelly. Never had any trouble, but after the wedding they were going to take their chances on a baby, so they got rid of the condoms. The young wife spent two years trying again and again to have sex and doctor after doctor prescribed pills for yeast and bacterial infections, causing inflammation, soreness and blisters. The marriage was going to break up. People don't talk about sex much. At least not about sex problems!

Cut to the short story. The girl was allergic to a protein in the sperm of her husband. What the doctor did who specialized in this stuff was take a weeks supply of sperm sent by her husband. Made up a batch of something of different strengths from this and a week later they drove to Cincinatti and she got the usual allergy tests done. This involved marking off different areas of her arms with drawing marker and then they pricked her arms in about 30 different places. This identified the strength of immunization shot she would need, to quick start her immune system to recognizing, or whatever immunization does, when it gets signals to react, or attack something. Anyway she was cured and the marriage saved.

WOW! Modern science. I can think of a number of women that had this problem that were constantly on doctor prescribed pills. Just a common allergy and not a yeast or bacterial infection of the vagina at all. The immune system was killing off the sperm. Now we know and since I'm not bashful and believe in talking about forbidden subjects like sexual problems and actions, here it is for you women. You have an allergy, not a yeast infection, or bacterial infection sometimes.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The story: Wife made her monthly pilgrimmage to the Lands Department, by bus to the capital of the country in Belmopan to pick up her long awaited TITLE CERTIFICATE. For the fifth month in a row, it is not ready and she came home empty handed. It has taken over a year and something to do the transfer from a LEASE CERTIFICATE to a LAND TITLE process, which was paid for some five months previously. At the time, she was asked to pay for the TITLE to her house lot in Hillview, which cost a couple of thousand dollars plus a few hundred dollars for the 60 ft x 75 ft lot, she had spent over a year going through the preparation with the LEASE CERTIFICATE submission and local lands inspections and so forth, to attain the FREEHOLD TITLE, then referred to Belmopan to pay for the TITLE. Then come back next month. That was five months ago. From the time of payment, it should be entered into the computer and the printer prints out the TITLE and somebody the CEO, or sometimes the Minister of Lands signs it and it is given to the voting citizen who has paid for it. Whole time consumed about 20 minutes by an efficient lands department. The reason for loss of 10 points from the UDP report card is that under the previous PUP administration, the UDP made a big deal out of the mess at the Lands Department and cleaned house when they came into office 2.5 years ago, changing staff with their own party hacks and promised to correct much abuse by the previous political party, they accused both before and after the national elections. The story we got from the then incoming UDP was that the PUP before them had been commandeering all the resources of the lands department and staff and all the politicians of the PUP were busy getting rich quick schemes, by getting titles to crown lands cheap and then reselling them. There was no time left over for the staff to do the voter citizen paper work. Human greed being what it is, we presume therefore that the new party in office, the UDP politicians are more of less assumed to be doing the same thing? Using the LANDS DEPARTMENT for their own land grabs and get rich quick schemes and there seems to be no human resources and time elements left to deal with the voting citizens of Belize. Goodness knows what foreigners immigrating here, or investing here think of this when their own paper work for lands end up take three years or more? Of course the foreigners are privileged, locals like us, have been known to take more than eight years sometimes to get lands paper work completed. We are fully mentally prepared to wait at least three years for this 20 minutes bit of computer and paperwork they have to do, after we paid the fees they requested. Needless to say, some things stay the same, no matter who you elect?

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Belize Economy seems to be neutral. We are still spending more than we earn. Subjectively ( we lack statistics ) the economy is doing well and could be considered normal. Inflation runs around 12%.In Belize dropping interest rates on bank CD's for the small people are causing capital to flee. The few large depositors in bank CD's are still getting gargantuan interest rates though. ( 9.5% ). Average CD rate is 8.75%, going mostly to big players. The effect is disproportionate. The masses of smaller holders of bank CD's are being exploited with rates around 6.5%. It is not a fair and level playing field. The Belize currency is not floating and inter-changeable with any other currency. The fixed rate inside the country is $2 to $1 usa. This has created internal stability at the cost of reluctance to invest, due to inability to easily do business inside and outside the country. If you bring foreign money in to invest, you end up stuck with Belize currency you cannot change again to outside foreign currency. Inside the country, the Central Bank continues to hold tight on foreign exchange incoming, mostly from some commodity exports and tourism. Ashcroft no longer has the ability to siphon off foreign exchange with his BTL dividends. This makes a difference. The GOB gets that foreign exchange earned by BTL now. Small business people cannot get foreign exchange except on the black market at a premium. Foreign investment lacking the ability to freely change their money back and forth between other currencies continue to be reluctant to invest in Belize for local projects. Only foreign exchange earning businesses done by foreign investment can succeed. This picture continues to stagnate the economy. Growth this year is expected to be slightly negative. Life otherwise is normal. Government continues to be the biggest employer in a SOCIALIST economy.

Venezuela on the other hand has a GNP which fell 5.8%, the inflation has stalled at around 30%, private investment fell 30%, and capital continues to flee the country.

Zimbabwe has a recovering economy. Growth is 6% and inflation under 5%. for comparison.